Mumbai, 26 Nov

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde resigned on Tuesday, paving the way for the appointment of a new government amid haggling by his Shiv Sena faction for continuity and the BJP pressing for its candidate for the top post.

The uncertainty surrounding the selection of Shinde's successor remains, as coalition leaders have yet to reach a consensus on the candidate.

Accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde met Governor CP Radhakrishnan earlier in the day to officially submit his resignation.

Following this, the Governor requested Shinde to continue in a caretaker role until the new Chief Minister is sworn in. The outgoing assembly's term concluded on Tuesday, adding urgency to the transition process.

The ruling Mahayuti coalition showed an impressive performance in the recent assembly elections, where it secured a commanding 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP on its own walked away with 132 seats followed by Shiv Sena Shinde faction with 57 and Ajit Pawar led NCP with 41 seats.

Deepak Kesarkar, a minister in the Shinde cabinet, told reporters later about the resignation and the Governor's directive for Shinde to act as caretaker chief minister. To a question, Kesarkar said the new government will be sworn in at the earliest.

Despite the coalition's electoral victory, the Mahayuti alliance, which comprises the BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, is grappling with disagreements regarding the next Chief Minister.

When asked about the leadership transition, Kesarkar emphasised that while party officials hope for a candidate from their ranks, the ultimate decision will rest with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, which they will accept.

As the political drama unfolds in Maharashtra, all eyes remain on the ruling coalition's leadership dynamics and the upcoming swearing-in ceremony for the new Chief Minister.